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Sao Lao
The village of Sao Lao (Chinese 騷勞) is a population center located within the political entity known as the Dragon Kingdom on the planet Mobius. The village was small and considered well out of the way from the larger population centers of the country. It was located at the head of three rivers which has contributed to the city's reputation as being Sao Lao of the Three Rivers. Technically under the control of the Holy Dragon King Xu Tei, Sao Lao, like many other small villages far away from the capital of Haujaung has some degree of autonomy. Description Sao Lao was situated in the southern Dragon Kingdom near the Lindu River. On Earth, this location would be considered part of the Hunan region in the Northwestern section of the region. Indeed, Sao Lao was located within the Hurewa province, which shows some reverence to the original name of the region. Sao Lao was considered a non-industrial city with technological levels seeming to situate somewhere around the 1910 level of development. Electricity was a known factor in their society, but much beyond things like automobiles was considered far more advanced. Sao Lao was not a city that was designed for advanced methods of transportation. Wider streets were more intended for horse and carriage and not for cars. In addition to these methods, rickshaws were commonly used to ferry passengers around the city. Cars were present, but not in large numbers. Many of the vehicles appear to be ramshackle in appearance due to their distance from major cities. Sao Lao is divided into four districts, each named after the cardinal directions: North (Bei), South (Nan), East (Dong), and West (Xi). Each tended to be used for different areas of the population. The North was more used as a residential district where many people, including young families with children tended to live. The reason for this is that in the Dragon Canon, the North Zephyr carried the goddess Qi, who was considered the patron of fertility and was a guardian of children. The South was considered the fishing district due to its location next to the banks of the Lindu river. The West was considered the commercial and business district of the village and housed things like taverns, restaurants, and places of work because the sun set in that direction, and the East had many businesses because the run rises in that direction. This was considered a general structure as businesses and homes were located in all of the districts, but this simple system was practiced in many other cities throughout the country. Over its 1000 year history, Sao Lao has been a walled city to keep out invaders, but several hundred years ago, the villagers spread out among the land surrounding the village. Farmers made the most of this land building great paddies that were fed by the rivers in the lowlands, while in the higher parts of the area, others took the soil and grew many goods that could be sold in the city, while at the same time could be shipped downriver to other settlements. Sao Lao, like much of the Dragon Kingdom was unaware of the UNSC's arrival due to the Human military being more focused on areas like Knothole. While the Dragon King was aware of Humanity's arrival and accepted them with great caution, villages like Sao Lao had virtually no contact. The city was not even aware of the Overlanders who lived in on the Northamer continent to the East. Sao Lao did have several ancient Humans who arrived as part of the Lost Million. Sao Lao itself was originally a Human hamlet where settlers who came from China chose to restart their life in the location where they were raised, but all over again as part of a new beginning. These were the first custom builders of the area and instilled Chinese cultural values, especially those revered before the Cultural Revolution in the mid-20th Century when Maoist political influence wiped things like ancestor worship away from the people. As a result, ancestor worship is widely practiced in the area as is in most Dragon Kingdom population centers. The patron deity of the city is Uo, which is appropriate since he is the god of the ocean, which extends to rivers. There is an ancient saying in the Dragon Kingdom: Ou is the ocean; the rivers his arms, the streams his hands, and the creeks his fingers. The Dragon Pantheon is not popular outside of the Kingdom, though they are greatly worshiped by all, especially in small villages like Sao Lao. The domestic population of the city itself within the walls is only 2500, which has maintained itself over the centuries. The young typically venture out to larger cities to work for their fortunes, and then move back to start families. Over the years though, the population has risen somewhat, but it is believed to be part of a natural boom and bust cycle for the town with growth and subsequent dearth resulting from overpopulation. It is believed this is because the citizens of the city consciously watch the population so that their numbers don't override their production of food and other resources. As of 3241, Sao Lao remains blissfully unaware of the majority of problems that have arisen in other parts of Mobius. List of Appearances * Infiltrators (First Appearance) Category:Locations Category:Mobius Category:City